Content

The Challenges of Strategy Delivery – we presented the need to drive business purpose, the evidence that strategy delivery is not particularly successful, and a summary of the pains we believe most will recognise.

We then invited David Booth to share his thoughts on the connection of strategy to delivery – and he covered five key areas including:

• Dynamic Strategy Management
• Leadership and Culture
• Holistic and Tailored Approach

The role of Business Integrated Governance in Strategy Delivery – we presented the proposition that a key enabler to strategy delivery is actually effective decision making – effective governance. Not just corporate governance, or investment governance, operational governance, product governance or change governance – but integrated governance. We explained the definition of BIG and outlined the key principles.

We then invited Lindie Grebe and Martin Samphire to share their perspectives – Lindie from Corporate Governance and Martin more from Change Governance perspectives.

In essence, the discussion highlighted the importance of aligning corporate governance with an organization’s purpose and decision-making processes. The key points emphasized include:

• Compliance vs. Purpose
• Strategy Integration
• Clear Decision-Making
• Accountability and Measurement
• Agility
• Avoiding Misrepresentation

Lastly – Business Integrated Governance (BIG) should be a tool that helps embed good governance throughout the organization, ensuring that every action reflects the overarching purpose and is not limited to compliance or strategy layers alone.

A Vision for the Capability Needed for Effective Strategy Delivery – we covered the key concepts underpinning BIG – including strategy information model, strategy operating model and BIG Operating model. We further described the BIG Components and Enablers – in other words what we must make and commission to operate BIG.

We then invited Chris Bragg and Pamela Schure to give their perspective on BIG from Project / Programme and Product management perspectives. Their extensive discussion revolved around the importance of understanding and aligning with the strategic goals of an organization when managing projects, products, and programs. In summary, the essence of the discussion emphasises the need for:

• Strategic Alignment
• Communication and Feedback
• Change Management
• Accountability and Reporting
• Integrated Governance
• Agility and an Agile Mindset
• Purpose and Accountability
• Managing projects and products to create value

The Beneficiaries of Leveraging BIG – no one is going to make any changes to their organisation without a trigger, and for the kind of changes needed to truly connect strategy to delivery – we are talking about senior sponsors – unless a sponsor is leveraging aspects of BIG tactically (which is perfectly reasonable). The session identified some example stakeholders and provided a link to the BIG BoK Purpose and Audience. We progressed to discuss possible frameworks to enable discussions with senior stakeholders, and put forwards the BIG Principles, and a Canvass which would enable debate of Clarity, Communication, Delegation, Enablement, Control, Agility and Integration from a challenges or expectations perspective. An example of a specific situation was presented, with reference again to the BoK.

Where to start – BIG Building Blocks. Firstly, it is clear that stakeholder engagement is key to establish appetite for change with senior beneficiaries. Using the Principles or a specific Canvass, we referenced ‘First Steps’ introduced in the BoK, and suggested there may be several approaches to change dependent on level of sponsorship – from holistic, top-down drive to technology led, to local pain driven solutions. In any case, the BIG BoK offers a Component Model with descriptions of what needs to be built and operated, and references enabling processes and tools that need to be available.

A Change Lifecycle – Post presentation of Building Blocks and enablers, the presentation highlighted the BIG Journey, and we explained that while the lifecycle was shown as Fist Steps, Discovery, Build, Adopt and Sustain – suggesting a sequential delivery, in reality the right approach is iterative and agile too.